Laundry net closure



April 3, 1956 o. ROECKL LAUNDRY NET CLOSURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 1'7, 1955 INVENTOR. 017v ZflZf/TZ' BY April 3, 1956 o. ROECKL LAUNDRY NET CLOSURE Filed Jan. 17, 1955 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 70 505 6152;

United States Patent LAUNDRY NET CLOSURE Otto Roeckl, Ehnont, N. Y.

Application January 17, 1955, Serial No. 482,123

4 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) This invention relates to laundry nets and more particularly to a device and method for closing such nets.

It is an object of this invention to provide a laundry net closure device which eliminates the Wear and tear encountered in using conventional closure devices.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of closing laundry nets which avoids any and all damage to the nets during the said closure process.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of closing laundry nets which substantially reduces any strain between the nets and the aforesaid closure device.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a laundry net closure device which is easy to install and operate, economical to manufacture and market, durable and which may be used in connection with laundry nets constructed of a nylon material.

Other and more specific objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing, the novel features of this invention being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a laundry net embodying one form of my invention.

Figures 2 through show the sequence of operations employed in closing the laundry net according to the process hereinabove mentioned.

The present invention solves a problem encountered in its most severe form in the use of nylon nets for laundry purposes. The fibers of such nets are particularly susceptible to damage from laundry pins inserted in the vicinity of the mouth of said bags, as is the conventional practice. Once such injury occurs, the life and utility of the laundry bag is materially shortened despite the fact that the remainder of the bag may be in excellent condition. An existing solution to this problem contemplates the location of a pair of grommets at each of two opposite ends of a nylon laundry net, the said grommets serving as guides for a conventional type laundry pin. However, this is only a partial solution to the problem since there is only a slight reduction in wear, the laundry pin still being passed through a substantial portion of the net without the protection of the said grommets. There is also present a substantial amount of strain imposed upon the grommets by the weight of the bag.

The present invention solves this problem by providing a series of grommets which may be suitably aligned by appropriately folding the laundry net in which they are installed and which are subject to little or no strain because of the use of an ingenious twisted loop portion passing through a conventional type laundry pin suitably fastened through the said grommets.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the embodiments of the invention therein shown comprise a plurality of oppositely located grommets 15, preferably composed of brass and suitably mounted in protective lining strips 16. The lining strips 16 may be fabricated of a nylon material and sewn upon a conventional laundry net 17 in the vicinity of the open end thereof, as shown in Figure 1. in practice, it has been found that four of such lining Patented Apr. 3, 1956 strips 16 equally spaced around the mouth of a laundry net 17 and overlapping the edge thereof, as is the case in Figure 1, are sutficient to achieve the necessary reinforcement of the fabric of the net 17, and that the provision of a pair of grommets 15 in each of the strips 16 is adequate and desirable for guide purposes, as hereinafter described. It is to be noted that each of the said grommets 15 will firmly grip the said lining strip 16 and the laundry net 17 so that, in effect, they will become one piece in the vicinity of the grommet 15. I

Closure of the said laundry net 17 is effected by folding the net 17 into a position wherein two oppositely located lining strips 16 are brought into contact with each other, the grommets 15 therein being aligned by this folding operation, as shown in Figure 2. Then, a second fold is made, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, with the adjacent lining strips 16 located at the center of the fold. Thereafter, a laundry pin 18 of conventional design may be inserted through the grommets 15 located in the free ends of the said laundry net 17, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. A third fold may then be made by passing the pin 18 through the grommets 15 remaining in the unfastened end of the net 17, as illustrated in Figure 4, the arrow therein indicating the direction of the folding operation.

The laundry net 17 is then manually engaged by one hand 19, as illustrated in Figure 5, and the open laundry pin 18 is turned downwards by the remaining hand 20, in the direction of the dotted arrow 21 shown in Figure 6, whereupon the said pin 18 is passed behind the net 17, as shown by the arrow 22 of Figure 6. Once in this position, as depicted in Figure 7, the laundry pin 18 is disposed around the body of the net 17 so that each bar 23, 24 thereof is located on opposite sides of the net 17, this position being shown in Figure 8. The pin 18 may then be closed, as illustrated in Figure 9, leaving the twisted loop or loops formed by the aforesaid looping motion above the laundry pin 18. This twisted loop or loops may then be tightened and the net 17 securely closed by pulling upwards in the direction of the'dotted arrows indicated in Figure 10, said pull being manually exerted by engaging the index, third and forefinger on the bars 23 and 24 of the pin 18 and pulling downwards with the remaining hand 19, as shown in the lastmentioned figure. The closure thereby effected imposes little or no strain upon the net 17, grommets 15 or lining strips 16, since such strain is effectively absorbed by the aforesaid twisted loop or loops and the bars of the pin 18.

Opening of the laundry net 17 is even more easily effected by simply opening the laundry pin 18 and sliding it out of engagement with the grommets 15. The aforementioned twisted loop or loops imposes no barrier to such opening since it cannot exist without the cooperation of the bars 23 and 24 of the pin 18.

Since the aforesaid device and operations never involve piercing the net 17 with the laundry pin 18, no damage can be effected thereby. Neither will any strain be imposed upon the net 17, due to the influence of the twisted loop portion and pin 18 in absorbing the strain.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove have been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible of being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

I. An improved laundr y net closure device comprising in combination four rec tangular lining strips sewn at equally spaced intervals around the mouth of the laundry net, each of said lining strips containing a pair of brass grommets, said grommets being alignable upon multiple folding of the laundry net, grommets also being engageable in such aligned position with a conventional type laundry pin, the laundry pin also being engageable with a portion of the laundry net adjacent to a looped portion of the net, said adjacent portion being passed through the space between the bars of the laundry pin, the looped portion being located on one side of the laundry pin and the remainder of the laundry net being located upon the other side of the laundry pin.

2. An improved laundry net of the character indicated, including four similar fabric lining strips sewn at regular intervals about the mouth or opening of the laundry net, each of the lining strips containing a pair. of metal grommets spaced apart and alignable upon multiple folding of said laundry net and also engageable in aligned position with a conventional type of laundry pin, said laundry pin also being engageable with a portion of said laundry net adjacent to a looped portion thereof, said adjacent portion being passed through the space between the bars of said laundry pin, said looped portion being located on one side of said laundry pin and the remainder of the laundry net being located upon the other side of said laundry pin.

3. An improved method for closing a laundry net comprising the steps of manually folding the said net into a position wherein guiding means located around the month of the said net are aligned, inserting suitable pinning means therethrough, manually looping the upper portion of the said net and engaging the net below said looped portion with said pinning means, closing the said pinning means, and tightening the said looped portion about the said pinning means.

4. An improved method for closing a laundry net comprising the steps of multiple folding a laundry net into a position wherein a plurality of grommets located around the mouth of the said net are aligned, inserting a laundry pin of conventional design therethrough, manually engaging the said laundry net with one hand at a short distance below the mouth of the said net, turning the pinned portion downwards with the remaining hand and looping the said pinned portion around that part of the net between the mouth thereof and the first-mentioned manually engaged portion, engaging the last-mentioned part of the said net between the bars of the said laundry pin, closing the said pin, and tightening the said looped portion by exerting a manual tension between the said pin and the first-mentioned manually engaged portion of the said net. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 690,854 Grant Jan. 7, 1902 1,588,695 Boehm June 15, 1926 2,064,594 Dickey Dec. 15, 1936 2,421,067 Howe May 27, 1947 

